An Epic Tale
by Fangren
Summary: The fate of many worlds rests in the hands of...several people, actually. Assuming that the whole thing isn't just one huge mistake made on the whim of a god. They'll eventually figure out what's going on, if they don't all die first. Currently on Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note and Disclaimer:** This is not technically my first foray into the world of fanfiction, though it is the first on this site. The story I will be attempting to create is a 'Massively Multiplayer Crossover' type involving, obviously, Negima and Naruto. There will be, I think, five other franchises that will get in on this action; I have already chosen them so please don't pester me with requests to add characters from your favorite manga or whatever.

I do not own Negima, Naruto, or any of the related characters, settings, and plots. I do, however, own any OCs unless otherwise noted, as well as the plot of this particular story (assuming it does have a plot and I'm not just fooling myself into thinking one exists).

* * *

><p><strong>An Epic Tale<strong> Prologue: The Plague of Worlds

He was displeased. He was very, very displeased. He sat alone in the near-center of a spacious spherical chamber, no door or windows or even a table with a bowl of snacks or a drink in sight. It was only him, his floating chair, and the enormous (and very likely holographic) model of _something_, which took up the better part of both the chamber's volume and the man's attention. The model consisted of an uncountable number of small, colored globes connected by shining strings. Every so often, one of the globes would shiver for a moment, and split into two connected parts. The colors of, and connections between, the orbs undoubtedly held some significance to the man, though their meaning would be undecipherable to any layman who happened to find himself in the room by some unfortunate stroke of fate.

"Hnn..." The man grunted, examining a particular section of the model more closely, before brushing it aside with one of his gloved hands, causing the entire model to scroll in the direction he had sent it. Again and again he perused the glowing web, each time stopping upon sections that shared a pair of unusually ominous characteristics: both the globes and the strings connecting them were pitch black, and they were multiplying at a much quicker rate.

"The infection keeps spreading...with every passing moment, more and more of those wretched shells are created, contaminating their sources, their neighbors, and most importantly the integrity of the pool at large." He spoke entirely to himself, as he had been alone in the room for some time and hadn't been expecting any visitors. Oddly enough, despite his lack of company he kept his face and body entirely shrouded behind a sizable cloak and a mask that bore no features but the slitted eyes he required to view his model.

"I will suffer those fools no longer. They possess the powers of gods, yet lack the knowledge and wisdom to use it properly. And they feed off each other without realization, turning the ideas of others to their own perverted ends without proper understanding of the ways in which such tools are to be handled. Though I consider myself but a novice in these arts, surely I can do better than a fool?" He leaned back, peering at nothing as he stroked his covered chin.

"There is the chance that undertaking such a project will only serve to aide this wretched plague, and I will have, perhaps, doomed myself by my own hubris. And yet, I am confident enough in my skills and habits to terminate the project before it gets too far down the path I loathe so much. I seek to better the worlds, by both providing an example to those that follow, and if possible by eliminating the cancerous shells before they spread too deep into the system."

The man stretched his arms, his nebulous plan making him restless. Abruptly, he snapped forward, his hands busily shifting the model around as his mutterings became more excited. "I shall, of course, need a suitable host world for this little idea of mine. One that could easily handle the number of erratics I intend to send them, concealing their presence while simultaneously allowing them to develop their skills for the task I hope to one day give them. One with a hero with tremendous potential, though I think it may be prudent to pick an early spot in the world's canonical development so as to allow them all time to adjust properly. Though, of course, I'll need a means of keeping the erratics from warping the proper flow of the host's timeline. After all, a wise man once said something along the lines of 'every change which strengthens the protagonists requires a corresponding worsening of their challenges.'" The ever-shifting framework before him came to a sudden stop, as beneath his mask the man's mouth grew into a wide grin.

"Ah! That, I think, is what I'm looking for." He touched the orb that held his focus with but a single finger, enlarging at the perspective shifted closer to what was soon revealed to be a planet. The focus fixed itself on a small town in a small country on the western portion of a large island. The scene rushed inward, showing what appeared to be a school of some sort, and then a group of people gathered in a grand hall. Soon, the images of the people could be heard speaking.

"I will now award you your diplomas." And old man spoke loudly so that all gathered could hear him, but he addressed but five children gathered before him. "You've done well these last seven years, but the real training begins now. Do not let your resolve weaken!" The excitement of the crowd rose in anticipation of what they all knew would soon follow.

"Negi Springfield!"

"Yes!"

The old man called forth, and a young child with a green cloak, reddish-brown hair, and a pair of pince-nez glasses scampered forward, eagerly awaiting the fate his diploma held. He was not aware of the man who watched him from so far away, nor could he have foreseen the plans that man held for him.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> The last few lines of dialogue are taken from a scanlation of the first page of the original 'Negima' manga. The earlier quote is from LessWrong's profile page; I do not know whether he created the First Law of Fanfiction himself or simply reposted it. As this is a prologue, it is not representative of the expected average length of future chapters. Finally, given my past habits with endeavors such as this, as well as my current circumstances, I cannot guarantee any sort of regular update schedule. However, as I upload this I should already have the first full chapter completed and should be posting it shortly.

Thank you for your time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Negima, Naruto, or any of the related characters, settings, and plots. I do, however, own any OCs unless otherwise noted, as well as the plot of this particular story (assuming it does have a plot and I'm not just fooling myself into thinking one exists).

**An Epic Tale** Chapter One: The Dead-Last Hero

* * *

><p>The masked man stared thoughtfully at the strange model before him, focused on a world of his own creation. Like so many of the type, it was based of another, older world, the new world's 'source'. It shared almost all of its timeline with its source, save for a few small differences that the man had already made, as evidenced by its artificial connection to a single, more distant globe. The man was happy, happier than he had been just hours ago, before he had conceived his plan and put it into motion.<p>

"The first pair of erratics have been inserted into the host. The hero, I expect, will have found himself in a strange and foreign land but weeks before the canon story would have truly begun. The other...well, I can only hope that she stays dormant for a few months of world-time as I have planned. Fortunately, I remembered to ensure the erratics would be able to understand the primary language of the host world. From my point of view, nearly all of their languages are the same, but I can't be certain that it's actually the case." He yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

"Let's see now...I want another pair to get inserted just before Negi arrives at Mahora, so I'd best settle that matter quickly." The man expounded, though none were around to hear. "Obviously, I'll be going with Uzumaki Naruto as the hero, but what of the other? Like before, I'd prefer to avoid unleashing any final boss-class antagonists, so that summarily eliminates Madara, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and even Sasuke. Likewise, I can't allow them to be someone that would be easily swayed to the heroes' side, so again I can safely rule out Nagato, and probably Zabuza and Haku as well. No, what I need is someone memorable, someone who would work well with the host antagonists and provide a proper challenge to the second heroic erratic. Someone who the boy would be willing to single out as a 'rival' of sorts." He paused, pondering the choices that occurred to him, and quickly dismissing the majority of them. What remained, however, was enough for him to visibly shudder with anticipation, smirking beneath the mask that concealed his features.

"In that case, I suppose I only have one suitable option, don't I? I'll have to alter him just a bit, though, to ensure that he fulfills the role I envisioned for him. That, however, I can take care of in a moment. Now, I believe, is the time to extract the second heroic erratic."

* * *

><p>In the middle of a cave hidden behind a waterfall within a strange forest carried on the back of an impossibly large turtle swimming just off the coast of the Lightning Country, two men trained. The elder of the two was a dark-skinned, shade-wearing man named Killer Bee, brother of Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage and host of the Eight-tailed Giant Ox. The younger, a boisterous and hyperactive blond teenager named Uzumaki Naruto, secret son of Konohagakure's Fourth Hokage and host of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox. Naruto, who had recently gained better control over the Nine-tails' chakra, was working on manipulating the beast's energy under the guidance of Bee and the Eight-tails.<p>

Considering the relatively high isolation of the cave they had been training in, as well as Naruto's extraordinarily high stamina and chakra reserves, it came as a great surprise when the youth's concentration suddenly faltered. The blond staggered a bit, and the chakra shroud that had been surrounding him abruptly broke for no reason that was immediately discernible.

"Yo, are you alright?" Bee started towards his friend, who seemed to be ready to fall at a moment's notice, but the boy waved him off.

"Yeah, I'm fine-ttebayo. Just felt, I dunno, like I was suddenly really dizzy for a second. But I'm fine now, so let's get back to training-ttebayo." Clearing his head once more, Naruto tapped into the part of his mental domain where the siphoned off chakra of the Nine-tails was contained. In a flash, he had returned to Nine-tails chakra mode, and resumed his training.

* * *

><p>Uzumaki Naruto was not by any means a genius, though he was not the idiot that many saw him as. He'd realized that the S-ranked mission to study the ecology of an island controlled by Kumo was a bit more than he'd been told. For one thing, transvestite armadillos aside it was far easier than he'd expected an S-rank to be. There hadn't been any real fighting, and he just couldn't see the importance of sexing a bunch of giant animals. Still, the pay was good, and he'd gotten to train with Killer Bee, which had been pretty awesome so far. To be honest, he'd decided that the ecology thing was just an excuse for him to come to the island and train. Once he finished his training and was able to control that damn fox, he'd be able to go back to Konoha and help fight Akatsuki, and eventually Sasuke too.<p>

Unfortunately, he'd have to first figure out why everything had gone black and every inch of his body felt like he'd just sparred for twenty rounds with Lee. One moment he'd been practicing stacking blocks with the Nine-tails chakra, and the next he was (from what he could feel) lying on a patch of grass somewhere.

_'Okay.'_ he thought to himself, trying to call upon everything he'd learned from his years of shinobi training. _'I'm pretty sure there wasn't any grass in that room. That means that I'm probably outside.'_ Groaning, Naruto forced himself alert. Opening his eyes and sitting up, he immediately confirmed that not only was he on a patch of grass, but he was also in the shade of a tree. He looked up, and his mouth gaped.

He was sitting under the largest tree he'd ever seen, larger than anything that grew in or around his home, including the ones in the Forest of Death. Even stranger, there didn't seem to be many other trees nearby, meaning he couldn't have been near the heavily-wooded Konoha. Standing, he checked to make sure everything he'd been carrying back on the island was still with him. _'Kunai and shuriken, check. Ninja wire's still there too, so are my scrolls...soldier pills...Ero-sennin's book...rations...ramen...okay, I think that's everything.'_ He paused, blinking. _'Actually, why is everything still here? Shouldn't the bastard who kidnapped me have taken my stuff with him?'_

He mulled the situation over for as long as his attention could stand, which was only about twenty seconds, before deciding that he'd figure out why he wasn't tied up and naked later. Right now, he needed to figure out where the hell he was, and where everyone else was too.

In blink of an eye, he had scaled the enormous tree, perched in the canopy so he could get a better view of his surroundings. He seemed to be on the outskirts of a village about the size of his home, though the style of the buildings was unlike anything he'd seen before in his life, and he had traveled quite a bit when he was training with Jiraiya. He could see people scurrying about on the streets, but he was too far away to recognize any of them, though they seemed to just be civilians.

"Bee!" Having failed to spot anyone he knew, Naruto resorted to Plan B: call out as loudly as he could for the people he'd been with before waking up. "Yamato-taichou! Bushy-brows-sensei!" _'Who else was there? Oh, yeah! That guy that was friends with Bee...what was his name?'_ "Uh...Motoi-san!" He waited for a response for a few seconds before frustration set in. "Where the hell is everyone-ttebayo!"

His angry cry echoed as Naruto stewed, crossing his arms and pouting. _'Man, what's going on here? One minute I'm training, next thing I know I'm waking up under a giant tree in some weird village, and I can't find anyone I know!'_ "Gah! Screw it, I'll just find everyone in Sage Mode!" Though his emotions were still running wild, he resolved himself to gathering the requisite natural energy so he could use Sage Mode to sense any chakra sources nearby, which he desperately hoped would belong to someone he knew. He managed to calm himself easily enough, though strangely the natural energy felt different from what he was used to. Adding it to the list of very weird things he'd have to ask someone about once he got back to Konoha, Naruto pressed on.

Once in Sage Mode, he quickly noticed three things. The first was that, of all the people in the village below, very few had anything resembling chakra, and for those that did it seemed to be off, different from any other type of chakra he'd ever experienced yet still recognizable as the energy. The second thing Naruto noticed was a handful of people who seemed to be capable of using the same natural energy that he was utilizing, without having anywhere near the levels of chakra he'd been told were necessary to prevent oneself from turning into a toad.

The third was that the person he'd sensed as having the largest chakra in the area (aside from himself) was rapidly approaching, but not in the fashion that a trained ninja would if they sensed a threat. He'd have thought it was one of his comrades trying to hide themselves, had the chakra not been of the same odd-feeling type he'd sensed. _'Then who the hell is this guy?'_

A better ninja would have realized that, given the situation, he should probably have hidden until he could at least figure out whether or not whomever was approaching meant to harm them or not. Naruto, always direct when faced with the unknown with nobody to help him through, leapt down from the gigantic tree to greet the stranger face-to-face, confident that he could beat him easily if a fight broke out.

He was met by a tall man in his 30's, maybe early 40's, with light brown hair, glasses, and a bit of stubble on his chin. He was dressed in the type of suit Naruto had only ever seen on businessmen. He carried no weapons that Naruto could see, nor did he wear any sort of forehead protector that would have indicated him as a ninja. _'Though,'_ the blond told himself absentmindedly, _'he could be in disguise.'_

"Looks like the Dean's hunch was correct." the man muttered under his breath, not realizing the strange-looking young man before him had heard.

Immediately, Naruto bombarded the man with questions. "Who are you-ttebayo? Where the hell are we-ttebayo?"

* * *

><p>Takamichi surveyed the ranting youth cautiously, making note of anything odd about him. His style of speech stood out as soon as the teen had opened his mouth, and the blond's odd clothing before that. He wore what appeared to be a black and orange jumpsuit, along with some sort of pouch on his hip and unusual blue sandals. He looked to be around 15 or 16 years old, lacking any noticeable facial hair, but possessing a set of what Takamichi assumed were whisker-like birthmarks, three on each cheek. The boy had bright blond hair, blue eyes, and some sort of odd headband with a plate of metal on the forehead, engraved with a symbol the teacher didn't recognize.<p>

"Ah, well," the man began, prompting the impatient young ninja to close his mouth and listen. "In this country, you're supposed to give your own name before you ask someone else theirs, but it's fine. I'm Takahata T. Takamichi, a teacher at Mahora Academy."

Naruto blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm Uzumaki Naruto-dattebayo." He cocked his head to the side. "Where did you say we were again?"

Embarrassed, Takamichi rubbed the back of his head and averted his gaze. "We're on the main campus of Mahora Academy in Japan, Uzumaki-san. Specifically, we're at the World Tree Plaza." The odd young blond clearly didn't get any of what Takamichi was saying. "Ah, well, if you'll come with me to the Dean's office, I'm sure he'll be able to explain things to you."

* * *

><p>Naruto, hesitating only briefly before he confidently reminded himself that, as the man who would become the next Hokage, he'd be able to handle anyone stupid enough to attack him, followed behind Takamichi. The odd pair traveled along the rooftops, Naruto surprising the older man by taking the initiative. The teacher took the lead, making sure they weren't seen by anyone below, something which the young man following didn't seem particularly concerned with. They made it to the building that housed the Dean's office in a few minutes, and landed as discretely as Takamichi could manage before entering the front door.<p>

* * *

><p>Konoe Konoemon was many things. He was a father, a grandfather, and a mage. He was the Dean of the prestigious Mahora Academy, and the Chief of the Kantou Magic Association. He was an old man, true, but with age came experience, and he was hardly ever truly caught off-guard in recent times. The last time he'd been presented with an unexpected situation had been two weeks ago, when the World Tree had glowed brightly a year and some months ahead of schedule, followed shortly by the sudden appearance of a young man dressed in strange clothes at its base. That incident had caused quite a ruckus among the academy's magical faculty and students, not to mention the rumors it had started amongst the normal students, but the situation had been cleared up eventually.<p>

When the World Tree began glowing again early this morning, Konoemon had a hunch that he might be met by another strange youth from another world, and so sent out one of his teachers to collect any such individuals before they could cause a scene. He had chosen Takamichi for the job, trusting the former member of Ala Rubra to tactfully and discretely welcome any extra-dimensional visitors and escort them to his office.

It was, then, no surprise when the man appeared before him again with a rather confused-looking teenager with him.

"Sir, this is Uzumaki Naruto, the boy I found at the World Tree Plaza." Takamichi spoke first, bowing and introducing the blond next to him. "Uzumaki-san, this is Konoe Konoemon, Dean of Mahora Academy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-kun." The Dean, sitting at his desk, smiled amicably. "I imagine you must have many questions, so go ahead and ask me whatever you please."

Naruto...hadn't really been listening to anything since he'd arrived. _'Wow, that old guy has a really weird head. It's shaped like, I dunno, an eggplant or something. His earlobes are really big too, and those eyebrows are longer than even Bushy-brows-sensei's!'_

There was an awkward pause while Naruto simply sat staring at the Dean. "Ahem." Konoemon cleared his throat, startling Naruto out of his stupor. "Naruto-kun? Don't you have any questions?"

Naruto chuckled a bit, embarrassed. "Oh, right, sorry Eggplant-ojiisan." Both Takamichi and the dean had to stop themselves from facefaulting at both the blond's informal speech and his choice of nickname. "Err...well, I guess I don't really get where we are. What is this 'Mahora Academy' thing anyways-ttebayo?"

"Ho ho ho." Konoemon chuckled. "Mahora is a rather unique school that incorporates primary, secondary, and university education on one large campus. It is divided into several smaller schools, each with their own teaching staff and students, but I am the Dean that presides over the entire Academy."

Naruto just looked confused. He had attended Konoha's Ninja Academy, true, but that only provided a few years worth of education, and focused on the various aspects and arts or the shinobi lifestyle. He didn't know much about any other forms of education, much less the differences between primary schools, secondary schools, and universities.

"Hmm." Konoemon read the confusion on the teenager's face with ease. "Tell me, Naruto-kun, what are the schools like where you come from?"

"Eh?" Naruto was surprised by the question. "Oh, well we had an Academy back in Konoha, but it just taught us stuff about being a ninja, you know, chakra and taijutsu and stuff like that-dattebayo." The Dean's bushy eyebrows rose considerably, but Naruto didn't seem to notice. Konoemon shared a quick glance with Takamichi, who had been silently listening to the conversation, and they shared a single thought. _'Ninja?'_

"Oh ho, a ninja you say?" The Dean stroked his beard thoughtfully, earning yet another one of Naruto's confused looks. "Suffice it to say that our Mahora is quite a bit different than what you are no doubt used to. What else would you like to know?"

Naruto thought carefully for a moment, deciding what he wanted to ask and how to do so without letting anything important slip. He had, after all, disappeared during a top-secret S-rank mission. He doubted that Obaa-chan would appreciate him telling random strangers what he'd been doing before he was kidnapped or whatever.

"Er...well, where exactly is Mahora? Like, what country? Glasses-ojisan said something about 'Japan' but I don't really know where that is."

"Oh ho ho...and now we come to the crucial point that must be made." Konoemon chuckled a bit absentmindedly, stroking his beard again as he mulled something over in his mind. Coming to a decision, he stood abruptly and walked to one of the many shelves of books that lined his office. Withdrawing a rather sizable book, he flipped through it to the page he wanted Naruto to see before setting it on his desk and motioning for the youth to take a glance.

"This, Naruto-kun, is an atlas of the world." the old man began, turning to look out his window as the blond, somewhat reluctantly, began studying the large map of Earth. "...this world, at least." Konoemon added softly as an afterthought, but Naruto didn't hear the comment.

_'The hell?'_ The ninja's brows furrowed deeper and deeper as his eyes scanned the map. _'No Konohagakure, no Land of Fire or any of the other countries...hell, nothing that even looks like them!'_

"Notice anything, Naruto-kun?" Konoemon remained with his back to the teenager, but he had correctly assumed that the boy would be very, very confused by the atlas. "I can assure you that atlas is entirely correct and up-to-date."

"But...but...hnnn!" he groaned, slouching back into a chair that Takamichi had been thoughtful enough to move while Naruto had been reading. "This doesn't make any sense, dattebayo!"

"So I would imagine! For, if I am correct, then your home village is in an entirely separate world from the one we are currently in!"

"Huh?" Naruto deadpanned, his confusion temporarily put aside as his mind quickly found alternative explanations for what he'd been seeing. _'You know, now that I think about it, there's no reason to think this old geezer is telling me the whole truth. This map thingy is obviously fake! There's no way I could be in a different world!'_ It then occurred to the boy, who had been grinning at Konoemon, ready to expose the practical joke or whatever it was, that a prank couldn't explain how he'd come to be in Mahora in the first place. _'So...this is, what, a dream or something? Yeah, that's it, I fell asleep while training, so I just gotta wake myself up.'_

The two adults watched as their frowning guest suddenly pinched himself, and realized what the blond must have assumed. "Ah, sorry Uzumaki-san, but this isn't a dream." Takamichi circled around to Naruto's front to look the boy in the eye, as Konoemon likewise turned his back to the window.

Naruto wasn't listening. The pinch hadn't done anything besides hurt a bit, as a pinch always does, and Naruto didn't know any other means to forcibly wake himself up from a dream. _'Maybe it's a genjutsu? I've never heard of a genjutsu this weird, though, and not even Itachi's Tsukuyomi had this much detail. Still...'_ Stilling seated, the ninja focused his chakra with a simple one-handed seal, just enough for Naruto to be certain he'd be able to dispel nearly any genjutsu. "Release!" he shouted, startling the two teachers who had been quite perplexed by the teenager's odd hand sign, and the energy they could feel him gathering.

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, looking around and seeing that the world was still whole. "I guess that means it's not a genjutsu after all-ttebayo..." he muttered, sullenly crossing his arms as he struggled to think up another way of explaining what was going on without resorting to something stupid like an alternate world. It only took him about ten seconds to get too frustrated to think straight. "Arrgh!" Naruto growled, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "I don't get what the hell is going on-ttebayo!"

"Oh ho ho..." Konoemon chuckled at the youth's display, stroking his beard once more. "Unbelievable as it may seem, it is as I have said: you are currently in an altogether separate world from your home." the Dean sighed, knowing that it wouldn't be so easy to convince the boy. "Maa, well, I hardly expect you to accept what has happened so soon. Before we talk about your living arrangements, I'd like to know more about what you just did. I believe you said something about a 'genjutsu', correct?"

Naruto was still pouting, angry with himself for not being able to figure out what was going on. Absentmindedly he gave an answer, not giving any notice to what Konoemon had said about living arrangements. "Hmm? Well, yeah, I thought this was a genjutsu, you know, an illusion? But nothing happened when I tried to dispel it, and I'm not asleep, so I don't really get...what...wait, huh?" It had dawned on Naruto that the eggplant-headed Dean had said something odd. Not that Konoemon hadn't said odd things before, it was just that this was a different sort of odd than claiming to be in an alternate world.

"How the hell do you not know about genjutsu, Eggplant-ojiisan? I thought old guys like you knew everything-ttebayo. Haven't you ever met a ninja?" looking at the old man as if for the first time, Naruto was surprised to find the Dean looking as though a suspicion of his had been confirmed, and was carefully choosing his next words. Naruto had expected Konoemon to be looking...well, actually, he didn't really know what he'd been expecting from someone who apparently didn't know about one of the three basic shinobi arts, but it definitely wasn't the same sort of scrutinizing gaze he'd received from both Kakashi-sensei and the Third Hokage when they were about to say something important.

"In fact, Naruto-kun, I have made the acquaintance of a few ninja throughout my long life, and have had the privilege of fighting alongside one once or twice, but not one has ever used nor even mentioned a technique like the one I presume you thought you were being affected by. Nor, I think, had any of them ever used ki quite like you did when you attempted to dispel whatever illusion you mistakenly thought was upon you. Takamichi-kun, what is your opinion on this matter?"

"Hmm?" The teacher blinked, having not expected to be included in the Dean's conversation. "Well, I agree that Uzumaki-san's ki is different from what I've experienced, and I can't say I've ever heard of a ninja that used complicated illusions either." _'Now that I think about it, I think I felt him using something similar to my kankahou when I first met him, but I don't feel like complicating things by asking him about that too.'_

Naruto looked from one man to the other, as confused as he had ever been today. "Huh? Ki? I don't really know what you're talking about, I've just been using my normal chakra-ttebayo."

"Chakra, you say?" Konoemon cocked an eyebrow. "I don't believe I'm familiar with such an energy."

Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Naruto attempted to explain the source of power that all ninja, as far as he knew, relied upon. "Err...chakra is..." he started, scratching the back of his head as both the Dean and Takamichi gave him their undivided attention. "Actually, I don't really know, dattebayo." both men struggled to keep themselves from facefaulting while Naruto concentrated on what he'd been taught about chakra, both in the academy and from his teammates. "I think it's, like, a mixture of the physical and spiritual energies made by the body or something." The blond hesitated a moment, trying to remember what else he knew about chakra, hoping that Sakura and Kakashi would approve of his explanation. "Oh yeah! There are different types of chakra, too...let's see, the five elements are fire, wind, lightning, water, and earth. I think there might be some others, but that's all I can remember-ttebayo. Anyway, ninja use different kinds of chakra to use different kinds of jutsu, dattebayo." Naruto gave a smugly satisfied nod, signaling that he had decided that he had given the two strangers a passable overview of chakra.

"I see, I see. Very interesting." Konoemon nodded, still stroking his beard, understanding more-or-less what the boy was talking about. "It sounds similar, in some ways, to the 'ki' of this world, which is essentially the internal energy present in the body of every person that can be accessed through high levels of physical training. In addition, there is also magic, that is, the ability to gather and control the natural energy that exists in the environment. Both myself and Takamichi-kun are mages, people who use magic."

"Oh, I get it dattebayo." Naruto nodded thoughtfully, and for once he actually somewhat understood what he'd been told on the first try. "So ki is kinda like chakra, and magic is natural energy?" _'Those mages or whatever must be what I felt when I was in Sage Mode. I wonder how they manage to control natural energy without turning into a toad?'_

"Ho ho, well, I believe it's a tad more complicated than that, but now is not the time to give you a detailed account of the various energies and their uses." The air in the room suddenly felt much colder to Naruto, who noticed the very serious and very intense gaze the Dean was giving him. "However, I must insist that you keep everything we have discussed today a secret. We mages wish to keep magic a secret from the general populace, and regardless of what you might be used to in your home, it is important that you keep your knowledge of things like magic, as well as the fact that you are a ninja from another world, a secret as well. If word of your secret gets out, there may be unforeseen consequences. Do you agree?"

Naruto, who still didn't really understand or accept the idea of a different world, nonetheless knew that some secrets needed to be kept that way. He had kept the truth of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox inside him a secret for as long as he could since he'd learned of it the night he'd made Genin; he'd kept the supposed truth of the Uchiha Massacre a secret since Kakashi had asked him to; he'd kept his parent's identities a secret since he had met with each of them in the recesses of his own mind. It didn't matter if he agreed with it, he was a ninja and as such he had to be able to keep secrets.

"Yeah, okay. I won't tell anyone about things like magic unless they already know, you have my word-ttebayo." The blond, brimming with confidence, looked Konoemon straight in the eyes, allowing the old man to see the honesty and conviction that was the trademark of Naruto's personality.

"Ho ho ho, I'm glad to hear it, Naruto-kun." once again, Konoemon returned to jovially stroking his long beard as he thought. "Now then, I'd like to speak with you about your future. Until we figure out how to send you home, I'm afraid you're stuck at Mahora Academy." The blond's jaw dropped. "I'm not saying that you can't leave campus, but rather that, since there are no official records of you in this world, you would be unable to leave the country, and would have great difficulty finding a place to live or a job. I suppose I could allow you to pose as a transfer student, but you'd be severely lacking in knowledge of several key areas of study, so I don't believe you'd particularly enjoy it. You also don't have the proper qualifications for a teaching position, or most of the other normal job openings that I can recall."

"Well, I'm fine with not being stuck in class all day again, and I can't imagine ever being somebody's sensei, not until I become a jounin at least-ttebayo. If I really am stuck here, I'd really like to just keep doing ninja things, you know, missions and stuff."

Konoemon's tremendous eyebrows perked as he heard what he'd been hoping for. "Missions, you say? What sort of things do you do on these missions, Naruto-kun?"

The blond blinked, taken off-guard once again by being asked something basic about ninja life. "Err, well, lots of things. Finding lost pets, running errands, escorting people or being their bodyguards, fighting other ninja, spying, assassination, stuff like that-ttebayo."

"I see, I see. Well then, how do you feel about this: I will provide you with an apartment and a small monthly stipend to live off of, as well as proper documentation that will allow you to pose as a regular civilian, and in return you will provide the Academy with your services by performing any tasks I deem suitable for you. You will, of course, be given additional payment for each mission you complete, and will be able to spend your free time as you please so long as you keep both the existence of magic and your own abilities a secret. Does that sound fair?"

Naruto mulled the offer over and over in his already-cluttered head. _'So, basically he wants me to keep being a ninja and work for him until I go home. It'll be a pain training by myself and in secret, but other than that I don't see any problem with this deal.'_ "Yeah, I'll do it. Until I figure out how to go home, I don't really have anything better to do."

"I'm glad to hear it, Naruto-kun. As it so happens, I already have an apartment for you in mind." Konoemon returned to the chair at his desk, and began rifling through one of the drawers. "I hope you're okay with having a roommate. He's a few years older than you," the Dean withdrew a few pieces of paper and looked them over as he continued. "and, like you, he is from another world." he handed the papers to Naruto, who had gone from uneasy about the prospect of a roommate, to excited about meeting someone he might know. "Unfortunately, I doubt you two are from the same world." noticing the boy's grin quickly morph into a frown, Konoemon made a hasty addition. "Of course, I can't be certain as I am admittedly unfamiliar with either of your homes."

Not even once considering the possibility of asking for a different apartment, Uzumaki Naruto took the papers that would give him the address and name of the person who would become his first friend in this strange world of magic.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> First chapter complete! This took awhile to write, partly because it was a lot of talking, and it was kinda difficult thinking up a plausible way for the conversation to lead where I wanted it to while keeping everyone in character. It might be kinda boring as a result, and I'm not certain I was able to capture the characters accurately enough.

Still, it was an important chapter, even though Negi didn't appear. Actually, I'm not entirely certain he'll appear next chapter either, though some of his students might. You'll also find out who the hero sent before Naruto is, and I'm wondering if anyone will be able to guess. I look forward to my first reviews!

Once again, thank you for your time.


End file.
